


Home

by Wild180



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: It does indeed have a Spiderman 2 quote, OH YEAH I COMPLETELY FORGOT, apparently, chillin' in my sticky note files, found it just sitting there, is it sappy?, lol, man this is pretty old work, no clue, no you're not imagining things, so here ya go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:35:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26398015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wild180/pseuds/Wild180
Summary: At the end of the day, they were the heroes, and he was their shadow. Nothing more, nothing less. It couldn't be changed. At least, that's what Shadow told himself, laying there on the ground as he waited for them to come near.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Home

"Shadow! Did _you_ break the Dark Mirror?! Why?!"

The shade chuckled lightly. He had pushed over the mirror, and here came the heroes... Vio... Already the effects of destroying the mirror were beginning to take place. What was initially immense pain, was now a spreading numbness.

"Looks like I've done your job for you. I.. think. Is... Is Vaati gone?"

His purple counterpart had knelt next to him, the others giving them a bit of space but all concernedly circled about.

"Yes. He's gone... thanks to you. Which I don't understand... _why_ did you do it?"

Shadow's eyes were closed, and he didn't respond, scaring Vio and the others that he was gone already.

"Hey man, don't you dare!" He shouted as he shook Shadow Link.

The dark boy's eyes opened, gaining a sigh of relief from those around him. He was confused- he had only been thinking.

"..Until Ganon drew me from the Dark Mirror, I never had a 'life' of my own," He started, the Links all focused intently on what he had to say, "Instead, I watched Link's life. We grew up together, but he never knew I was there. No one did."

The Links were all silent to allow Shadow to say what he needed. He coughed and shook his head to the best of his ability, trying to clear away the mist gathering at the edges of his vision.

"I saw as he laughed and played with Zelda and his family, and that even when he fell he got back up. He was supported. Happy, loved, and... it _stirred_ something in me. The realization that I wanted, that, too. I was alone and upset." He needed to speak faster, he didn't have much time.

"My dream was always to have what y'all did- a home, a family, someplace I was loved- or even just to be noticed for once and everything seemed intent on keeping me from having it. I knew all this was wrong.. but I saw no other way. But then when I was forced to come back here after so much pain, physical and emotional, I realized what I had to do... Because sometimes, to do what's right, we have to be steady, and give up the things we want the most. Even our dreams," he chuckled again, though it sounded much sadder than the first time, "especially ones that could never come true."

At this point, it was getting really hard for him to stay awake. The shade's eyes were slowly closing, but a wet **PLOP!** on his cheek brought him back to his senses...

These were... tears. But he wasn't crying. Then...

The violet hero hugged him, trying to ignore and stop the tears cascading down his face. "Shadow, don't call your dreams unrealistic," Vio's voice came out mumbled, due to his face almost buried in the boy's black tunic. This confused Shadow, until Green finished what Vio was saying.

"Because you never know when they'll become reality." Shadow looked in shock at the green-clothed boy, understanding what he was saying, but not knowing if it was true yet.

" _We_ are your family!" Red tearfully piped in.

Blue said nothing, but nodded to the hero's shadow, causing the shade to smile almost sadly.

Then Shadow's mind became foggy; his vision blurred. He couldn't fight this any longer, no matter how he tried. With one last smile, for reasons he was struggling to comprehend as he fell further to the darkness, he reached out towards his friends- No, towards his _family_.

And just like that, so he was gone, leaving behind naught but specs of light and sorrowful boys, one still desperately trying to cling to what was now gone. Beneath the Links feet, what had been thought absent since the start of the journey slowly formed.

A shadow.

Throughout his existence, of many things this shadow had been uncertain. But there was one thing he knew for sure:

He had finally found his way home.

**Author's Note:**

> Was going through my computers sticky notes when I found this small story in there. Don't remember writing it (curse you concussion!!), but it's a year or two old, apparently. Figured, "Hey, nothing else is ever happening with this, may as well post it". So I did. You're welcome. Maybe?
> 
> Also! I uh, didn't really edit it from what it was. So! Any errors are mistake of past me! But, uh... any noticeable ones? Feel free to point 'em out. Writing's fun, and I'm working on a fic with a friend over on FimFiction, and personally I feel as though this is better written than I can write now. So I'd love feedback!


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